A Restless Night
by glitterstar7
Summary: A short story about Jack and Rose's thoughts after they meet that night on the stern.


A Restless Night

Jack Dawson had a million thoughts swirling around in his head as he made his way back to his bunk in third-class. The others were sound asleep, and Jack quietly changed into his nightclothes so he wouldn't disturb anyone. He considered waking up Fabrizio, but knew the Italian would get upset with him if he did. Fabrizio was a sound sleeper and hated any interruptions in his sleep.

As Jack laid in bed, he couldn't believe that he met the beautiful redhead that captured his attention earlier that day. He now knew her name… Rose! What a beautiful name for a first-class girl and it perfectly matched her beauty and red-hair. If he hadn't been smitten with her at first sight, he was now. There was something about the girl; something special.

When Jack first saw Rose earlier that day, he could tell that she was unhappy. But he had no clue that she was so unhappy that she wanted to end her life. It was pure luck that he was out on the stern; if he hadn't been Rose probably would have jumped. That would have been a shame; Rose seemed to quite the woman, and Jack felt that Rose still had a lot to offer the world. He wondered what happened to Rose to make her think that she had no other way out. Hearing her sobs and then seeing her hanging on to the railing, he knew he had to help the poor girl. He was glad that his words convinced her to change her mind, and thought the worst was over until she slipped! It took every ounce of his strength to help pull her back over, and they landed in an awkward position. It didn't look good when the quartermaster and his fellow men found them, and thought the worst seeing Rose's torn dress.

As soon as the Master-at-arms arrived on the scene, Jack was placed under arrest. Jack was more than upset that he was being accused of a crime he wouldn't dare commit. He was also disappointed that Rose was engaged, and that she was engaged to the same man that she walked away from when he saw her on deck. She called him Cal; obviously a nickname. Cal was obviously rich, but it seemed that the man didn't cherish Rose. Cal heavily emphasized the fact that Rose was his fiancé, as if she was an object that belonged to him. Jack also didn't appreciate the way Cal looked down upon him; yes, he may be a poor guy, but he was raised to respect others. He appreciated that Rose stood up for him, which is why he kept her secret. He saw the desperation in Rose's eyes, begging him not to tell everyone what she had tried to do. Out of decency and respect, Jack went along with Rose's story. He was more than relieved when the handcuffs were removed.

Jack had no regrets saving Rose though; he wasn't expecting any reward, and couldn't believe that Cal invited him to dinner the following night. Jack wasn't sure if he would attend, but if he saw Rose again he would seriously consider it. Jack knew he was heading down a dangerous path, but he had to know that Rose was going to be okay. Jack was now too involved, and sincerely hoped that he could help Rose. Jack fell asleep wondering what tomorrow was going to bring, and hoping that he would see Rose again.

…

Much to Rose's relief, Cal didn't linger in her stateroom. She was surprised at Cal's attempt to win her heart, but she wasn't fooled. Cal had now been trying for several weeks to seduce her, and it was beginning to make her angry. The Heart of the Ocean was supposed to be a symbol of Cal's love for Rose, but it didn't feel that way to her. The necklace felt cold and overwhelming; all the emotions that she was currently going through being in a loveless engagement. Being engaged at 17 was the last thing Rose wanted; she wasn't ready for marriage yet. She felt so powerless with her life already planned for her. She was expected to be Cal's perfect little fiancé, and eventually the perfect little wife. She wanted to be more than just a rich man's trophy wife. She felt as she was suffocating with all this pressure being placed on her shoulders, which is what led to her trying to end her life.

Rose still couldn't believe what she had just tried to do, and how close she was to succeeding. She wasn't expecting anyone to be out on the stern this late at night, but she was grateful that Jack was there. He took the time to talk to her, and convinced her to do the right thing. Rose still couldn't believe that she slipped on her stupid dress, and she would have gone overboard if Jack hadn't quickly grabbed her arm. She felt so guilty as poor Jack was being arrested; it didn't look good when those guards found them. They had fallen so awkwardly, that it looked like Jack had tried to take advantage of her.

From the short time she spent with him, she felt Jack was a good man. It wasn't right for him to be arrested since all he did was try to help her! She was also upset how Cal was treating Jack as if he were a criminal. Of course, Cal thought that Jack tried to harm her and was just being territorial. She quickly told the men that Jack was innocent and had saved her life. She spun a tale that she was leaning far over the railings to see the propellers and that Jack quickly had come to her aid, nearly going overboard himself. The story was mostly true, and Cal seemed to have bought it. She begged Jack with her eyes to go along with her tale, and was more than grateful when he did. She was relieved that Jack was decent enough to keep her secret.

When Gracie mentioned to Cal that Jack deserved a reward for saving her, she was more than displeased that Cal was going to leave without a thought. She scoffed at the $20 Cal was going to give Jack… she felt that Jack deserved far more for saving her. She was more than surprised that Cal invited Jack to dinner, and that Jack had accepted the offer. Rose left the deck intrigued by Jack, and seriously wondering if he would come to the dinner.

As she laid in bed, Rose decided that she would find Jack and thank him for saving her. She decided that she would make her way to third-class after lunch, when she knew Cal and her mother would be busy socializing. This needed to be a private conversation, and she didn't want Cal or her mother to interfere. Rose also felt that she needed to explain herself to Jack, and felt that he would listen to her without judgements. She knew that it would be considered highly inappropriate talking to a man that wasn't her fiancé, but she honestly didn't care. Rose needed a friend, and she apparently made one in a highly stressful situation. Rose fell asleep feeling confident in her decision to seek out Jack, and was actually looking forward to the next day.

 ** _I'm still working on my other story, Forever, but I was struck by a wave inspiration after watching the movie the other day. The movie quickly went from Rose getting the Heart of the Ocean from Cal, to the next day with her walking with Jack along the decks. I always wondered what Rose and Jack were thinking after they met on the stern, and what led Rose to decide to seek out Jack. Hope you enjoy!_**


End file.
